Khartoum: Sudan confirmed on Thursday that it had joined a Saudi-led intervention in Yemen to push back Shiite rebels advancing on the Aden stronghold of embattled President Abedrabbo Mansur Hadi.

"Sudan is taking part in the military operation in Yemen," the Sudanese armed forces press service said in an SMS sent to journalists.

The military gave no further details of its role in the operation but said its spokesman would give a statement "shortly".

Saudi warplanes launched strikes on Huthi rebels in Yemen on Thursday, as the kingdom said it had assembled a coalition of more than 10 countries to check the rebels` advance and prevent the fall of Hadi.

The rebels and their allies within Yemen`s armed forces had been closing in on main southern city Aden where Hadi has been holed up since fleeing the rebel-controlled capital Sanaa last month.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir visited Saudi Arabia on Wednesday and held talks with King Salman and his defence minister, Sudan`s SUNA news agency reported.